Exploring the Role of Peer and Faculty Interactions in Shaping the Sense of Belonging among International Graduate Engineering Students (IGES) at an HBCU
- Conference
- Location
-
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Publication Date
-
June 22, 2025
- Start Date
-
June 22, 2025
- End Date
-
August 15, 2025
- Conference Session
- Tagged Divisions
-
Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
- Tagged Topic
-
Diversity
- Page Count
-
27
- Permanent URL
-
https://peer.asee.org/56546
Paper Authors
Tolulope Iyanuoluwa Abiri Morgan State University
Tolulope Abiri is a graduate student in Civil Engineering at Morgan State University, where he also serves as a Research Assistant. He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). His current research focuses on the sustainability and resilience of transportation infrastructure in the face of sea level rise, with a particular emphasis on coastal vulnerability and adaptive planning for future climate scenarios.
Tolulope is passionate about engineering education and research, with a strong appreciation for field experiences that bridge theory and practical application.
Ayobami Christianah Dunmoye Morgan State University
Ayobami Dunmoye is a Civil Engineering graduate student at Morgan State University, focusing on Construction Management. Her research examines how peer and faculty interactions influence the sense of belonging among international students and motivation and challenges of female engineering students at HBCUs, with an emphasis on inclusion, adaptation, and academic resilience.
Michael Oluwafemi Ige Morgan State University
Michael Ige is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Morgan State University, Maryland, where he is pursuing his M.Sc. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a concentration in Construction Management and Transportation Engineering. He earned his B.Tech. in Building Structure from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Michael has extensive professional experience managing large-scale heavy construction and façade projects, including high-rise and industrial developments across West Africa, having held key roles in the field. His research interests include the integration of digital tools in construction education, resilient building design, and asset management in civil infrastructure. He is passionate about bridging academic knowledge with real-world application and is committed to developing innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable construction solutions.
Samuel Sola Akosile Morgan State University
Samuel Akosile is a Ph.D. student in Sustainable Infrastructure and Resilience Engineering at Morgan State University, within the Department of Civil Engineering. He currently works as a Research Assistant, contributing to innovative studies in the field of civil infrastructure. His primary research area focuses on sustainable design for pavement systems, aiming to develop environmentally responsible, durable, and cost-effective solutions for modern transportation networks. Samuel’s work explores the integration of green materials, lifecycle assessment, and resilient engineering practices in pavement design. Through his research, he seeks to address key challenges in infrastructure sustainability while promoting long-term resilience in the face of climate change and increasing urban demands
Olushola V. Emiola-Owolabi Morgan State University
Olushola Emiola-Owolabi graduated from the Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy at Morgan State University with a PhD. She is an engineering pedagogy specialist, researching active learning in engineering classrooms and specializing in qualitative methods research on teaching and learning – particularly in remote synchronous learning environments.
Pelumi Olaitan Abiodun
Morgan State University
orcid.org/0000-0002-4969-9591
Pelumi Abiodun is a current doctoral student and research assistant at the department of Civil Engineering, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Pelumi got his BSc and MSc degree in Physics from Obafemi Awolowo University, where he also served as a research assistant at the Environmental Pollution Research unit, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. As part of his contribution to science and engineering, Pelumi has taught as a teaching assistant both at Morgan State University and Obafemi Awolowo University. With passion to communicate research findings and gleaned from experts in the field as he advances his career, Olaitan has attended several in-persons and virtual conferences and workshop, and at some of them, made presentation on findings on air pollution, waste water reuse, and heavy metal contamination.
Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E. Morgan State University
Dr. Oludare Owolabi, a professional engineer in Maryland, joined the Morgan State University faculty
in 2010. He is the director of the sustainable infrastructure development, smart innovation and resilient
engineering lab and the director of undergraduate programs in the department of civil engineering at Morgan
State University.
Abstract
Research has demonstrated that a sense of belonging is crucial for promoting academic success, emotional well-being, and social integration. This is more pronounced among diverse international graduate engineering students who often face challenges such as cultural differences, language barriers, and unfamiliar academic environments. However, limited attention has been given to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in understanding how interpersonal interactions influence this sense of belonging of the IGES. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Sense of Social Fit (SSF), Belongingness Theory, and Cultural Capital, exploring how peer and faculty interactions influence the sense of belonging of the IGES at an HBCU in the United States. Using the Sense of Social Fit (SSF) scale, a 17-item survey on a 7-point Likert-type scale, this study assessed social and academic fit, supplemented with additional questions exploring interactions with lecturers and faculty. The SSF captures dimensions such as social match, social acceptance, and identification with the university, while added items evaluate the quality of relationships with faculty members using three (3) open-ended items. This will contribute to the knowledge on how peer and faculty interactions contribute to student's overall sense of belonging. The findings aim to uncover HBCUs' unique role in fostering inclusive academic and social environments, especially for IGES. This research offers insights for improving international student engagement, integration, and faculty support. In addition, the findings will contribute to broader discussions on diversity, inclusion, and intercultural relations in higher education.
Abiri, T. I., & Dunmoye, A. C., & Ige, M. O., & Akosile, S. S., & Emiola-Owolabi, O. V., & Abiodun, P. O., & Owolabi, O. A. (2025, June), Exploring the Role of Peer and Faculty Interactions in Shaping the Sense of Belonging among International Graduate Engineering Students (IGES) at an HBCU Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56546
ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2025 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015